Official Statistics
8. Rate of pensioner poverty: data table (CSV)
Updated 20 July 2015
Download CSV 15.9 KB
| 8. Rate of pensioner poverty | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Data source | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Family Resources Survey | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Time period and availability | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Splits currently available by age, disability, ethnicity and gender. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Latest data available at June 2015 covered 2013/14. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Produced once a year covering a financial year, with a delay of just over a year after the end of the period referred to. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Data do not include care home residents due to the sample for the survey used consisting of the private household population. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| What does this tell us? | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| The pensioner poverty indicator is measured as the rate of relative low income amongst the pensioner population. It is the percentage of pensioners in households with incomes below 60 per cent of equivalised contemporary median income, After Housing Costs. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| How will an improvement be shown? | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Generally, a decrease in this indicator will demonstrate that an improvement has been achieved, but external factors such as wider economic conditions which may affect pensioners in a different way to working age adults also need to be taken into account. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Links to other information that you may find useful | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Further analysis of Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data are shown in the annual HBAI publication, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-19941995-to-20132014 | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Table 8.1: Poverty rate for pensioners by age, UK, 2009/10 - 2013/14 (relative low income, After Housing Costs) | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Age | Poverty rate (percentage of pensioners in low income households) | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 |
| Under 65 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 |
| 65-69 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| 70-74 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 |
| 75-79 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 80-84 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 15 |
| 85+ | 19 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 18 |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Source: Family Resources Survey / Households Below Average Income 2013/14 | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| The oldest pensioner group has the highest poverty rate, while it is generally lower for younger age groups. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Between 2012/13 and 2013/14 there were movements in some poverty rates for different age groups, with the overall pensioner poverty rate up by 1 percentage point on the year6. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Notes: | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 1. This indicator is measured using Households Below Average Income statistics sourced from the Family Resources Survey. The indicator measures the percentage of pensioners with incomes below 60 percent of contemporary equivalised median income, After Housing Costs. Data are annual with approximately a 12-month time lag after the end of the survey period. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. Estimates showing ethnic breakdowns are presented as three-year averages because of small sample sizes. However, the figures must still be treated with some caution, as the sample sizes are still small for certain ethnic minority groups. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 3. Proportions of individuals in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 4. Results cover the financial year for each year, i.e. April to March. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 5. Pensioners are defined as all those adults above State Pension age. The SPa is 65 for men born before 6th December 1953. For women born on or before 5th April 1950, SPa is 60. From 6th April 2010, the SPa for women born on or after 6th April 1950 will increase gradually between April 2010 and November 2018. Other changes are planned or have been announced from December 2018 when the State Pension age for both men and women will start to increase to reach 66 in October 2020. Further increases to bring the SPa to 67 are proposed to be phased in between 2026 and 2028. These changes are published at: https://www.gov.uk/changes-state-pension. For 2013/14 data, women are over SPa based on date of birth and date of the survey interview. For further guidance on calculating State Pension eligibility age, see: https://www.gov.uk/calculate-state-pension | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 6. Some changes between years will be small in relation to sampling variation and other sources of error and may not be statistically significant. This is relevant for particular sub-groups, as these will have smaller sample sizes than the overall survey sample size. For these sub-groups it is important to look at long-term trends. Statistical significance is not provided for these particular breakdowns. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Table 8.2: Poverty rate for pensioners by disability, UK, 2009/10 - 2013/14 (relative low income, After Housing Costs) | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Disability status | Poverty rate (percentage of pensioners in low income households) | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 |
| Those living in families where no-one is disabled | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Those living in families where someone is disabled | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Source: Households Below Average Income 2013/14 | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| In 2013/14 pensioners living in families containing one or more disabled member had a similar poverty rate compared to pensioners living in families not containing a disabled member. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Between 2012/13 and 2013/14, the rate of pensioner poverty for those living in families where someone is disabled rose by 1 percentage point, and remained flat for those in families where no-one is disabled. However, neither of these changes were statistically significant. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Notes: | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 1. This indicator is measured using Households Below Average Income statistics sourced from the Family Resources Survey. The indicator measures the percentage of pensioners with incomes below 60 percent of contemporary equivalised median income, After Housing Costs. Data are annual with approximately a 12-month time lag after the end of the survey period. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. Estimates showing ethnic breakdowns are presented as three-year averages because of small sample sizes. However, the figures must still be treated with some caution, as the sample sizes are still small for certain ethnic minority groups. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 3. Proportions of individuals in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 4. In 2012/13, in order to fully comply with the Equality Act definition, the Family Resources Survey (FRS) adopted the new suite of harmonised questions on disability. Disabled people are identified as those who report any physical or mental health condition(s) or illness(es) that last or are expected to last 12 months or more, and which limit their ability to carry out day-to-day activities a little, or a lot. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 5. No adjustment is made to disposable household income to take into account any additional costs that may be incurred due to the illness or disability in question, and disability benefits have been included in the equivalised household income used. This means that the position in the income distribution of these groups, as shown here, may be somewhat upwardly biased. Results based on incomes excluding disability benefits are available on request. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 6. '..' means data is not available due to small sample size. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 7. Results cover the financial year for each year, i.e. April to March. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 8. Some changes between years will be small in relation to sampling variation and other sources of error and may not be statistically significant. This is relevant for particular sub-groups, as these will have smaller sample sizes than the overall survey sample size. For these sub-groups it is important to look at long-term trends. Statistical significance is not provided for these particular breakdowns. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 9. Pensioners are defined as all those adults above State Pension age. The SPa is 65 for men born before 6th December 1953. For women born on or before 5th April 1950, SPa is 60. From 6th April 2010, the SPa for women born on or after 6th April 1950 will increase gradually between April 2010 and November 2018. Other changes are planned or have been announced from December 2018 when the State Pension age for both men and women will start to increase to reach 66 in October 2020. Further increases to bring the SPa to 67 are proposed to be phased in between 2026 and 2028. These changes are published at: https://www.gov.uk/changes-state-pension. For 2013/14 data, women are over SPa based on date of birth and date of the survey interview. For further guidance on calculating State Pension eligibility age, see: https://www.gov.uk/calculate-state-pension | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Table 8.3: Poverty rate for pensioners by ethnic group of head of household, UK, 2009/10 - 2013/14 (relative low income, After Housing Costs) | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Ethnic group of head (3-year average) | Poverty rate (percentage of pensioners in low income households) | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | 2009/10-2011/12 | 2010/11-2012/13 | 2011/12-2013/14 | Not set | Not set |
| White | 14 | 13 | 13 | Not set | Not set |
| Mixed / Multiple Ethnic Groups | .. | .. | .. | Not set | Not set |
| Asian or Asian British | 31 | 31 | 27 | Not set | Not set |
| Indian | 26 | 27 | 23 | Not set | Not set |
| Pakistani | 38 | 31 | 35 | Not set | Not set |
| Bangladeshi | .. | .. | .. | Not set | Not set |
| Chinese | .. | .. | .. | Not set | Not set |
| Any other Asian background | .. | .. | .. | Not set | Not set |
| Black/ African/ Caribbean/ or Black British | 19 | 24 | 24 | Not set | Not set |
| Other ethnic group | 23 | 21 | 22 | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Source: Households Below Average Income 2013/14 | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| The poverty rate is higher for pensioners living in households headed by someone from an ethnic minority. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Comparison between 2010/11 to 2012/13 and 2011/12 to 2013/14 shows that the poverty rate remained level at 13 per cent for the ‘White’ and the 'Black or Black British' groups, but fell by 4 percenttage points to 27 per cent for the Asian or Asian British’ group. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Notes: | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 1. This indicator is measured using Households Below Average Income statistics sourced from the Family Resources Survey. The indicator measures the percentage of pensioners with incomes below 60 percent of contemporary equivalised median income, After Housing Costs. Data are annual with approximately a 12-month time lag after the end of the survey period. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. Estimates showing ethnic breakdowns are presented as three-year averages because of small sample sizes. However, the figures must still be treated with some caution, as the sample sizes are still small for certain ethnic minority groups. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 3. Proportions of individuals in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 4. '..' means data is not available due to small sample size. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 5. Results cover the financial year for each year, i.e. April to March. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 6. Ethnicity figures reflect the new harmonised standards published in August 2011. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 7. As the HBAI is derived from sample data all the figures are subject to sampling error. Different figures in HBAI are subject to widely differing levels of sampling error. For changes in the overall pensioner group to be statistically significant they would need to be in the order of 1.3 percentage points or around 130-140,000 pensioners. Statistical significance is not provided for these particular breakdowns. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 8. Pensioners are defined as all those adults above State Pension age. The SPa is 65 for men born before 6th December 1953. For women born on or before 5th April 1950, SPa is 60. From 6th April 2010, the SPa for women born on or after 6th April 1950 will increase gradually between April 2010 and November 2018. Other changes are planned or have been announced from December 2018 when the State Pension age for both men and women will start to increase to reach 66 in October 2020. Further increases to bring the SPa to 67 are proposed to be phased in between 2026 and 2028. These changes are published at: https://www.gov.uk/changes-state-pension. For 2013/14 data, women are over SPa based on date of birth and date of the survey interview. For further guidance on calculating State Pension eligibility age, see: https://www.gov.uk/calculate-state-pension | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 9. Some changes between years will be small in relation to sampling variation and other sources of error and may not be statistically significant. This is relevant for particular sub-groups, as these will have smaller sample sizes than the overall survey sample size. For these sub-groups it is important to look at long-term trends. Statistical significance is not provided for these particular breakdowns. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Table 8.4: Poverty rate for pensioners by gender, UK, 2009/10 - 2013/14 (relative low income, After Housing Costs) | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Gender | Poverty rate (percentage of pensioners in low income households) | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 |
| Male | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
| Female | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Source: Households Below Average Income 2013/14 | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Between 2012/13 and 2013/14 the poverty rates rose by 1 percentage point for both males and females, at 13 per cent and 15 per cent respectively6. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| Notes: | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 1. This indicator is measured using Households Below Average Income statistics sourced from the Family Resources Survey. The indicator measures the percentage of pensioners with incomes below 60 percent of contemporary equivalised median income, After Housing Costs. Data are annual with approximately a 12-month time lag after the end of the survey period. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 2. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. Estimates showing ethnic breakdowns are presented as three-year averages because of small sample sizes. However, the figures must still be treated with some caution, as the sample sizes are still small for certain ethnic minority groups. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 3. Proportions of individuals in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 4. '..' means data is not available due to small sample size. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 5. Results cover the financial year for each year, i.e. April to March. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 6. Some changes between years will be small in relation to sampling variation and other sources of error and may not be statistically significant. This is relevant for particular sub-groups, as these will have smaller sample sizes than the overall survey sample size. For these sub-groups it is important to look at long-term trends. Statistical significance is not provided for these particular breakdowns. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 7. Households Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics assume that both partners in a couple benefit equally from the household’s income, and will therefore appear at the same position in the income distribution. Research has suggested that, particularly in low income households, the assumption with regard to income sharing is not always valid as men sometimes benefit at the expense of women from shared household income. This means that it is possible that HBAI results broken down by gender could understate differences between the two groups. | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |
| 8. Pensioners are defined as all those adults above State Pension age. The SPa is 65 for men born before 6th December 1953. For women born on or before 5th April 1950, SPa is 60. From 6th April 2010, the SPa for women born on or after 6th April 1950 will increase gradually between April 2010 and November 2018. Other changes are planned or have been announced from December 2018 when the State Pension age for both men and women will start to increase to reach 66 in October 2020. Further increases to bring the SPa to 67 are proposed to be phased in between 2026 and 2028. These changes are published at: https://www.gov.uk/changes-state-pension. For 2013/14 data, women are over SPa based on date of birth and date of the survey interview. For further guidance on calculating State Pension eligibility age, see: https://www.gov.uk/calculate-state-pension | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set | Not set |